Roasted Garlic Hummus

Happy Holidays friends!!

The Holidays are here!! That epic time of the year that friends and loved ones gather to spend quality hang time together and feast on delicious, family-style meals. So awesome. The Holiday season is wonderful, but let’s be honest…it’s busy, and cooking during this slightly hectic period can be a tad stressful. The fix in our house? Easy to assemble, delicious to eat cheese plates, charcuterie boards, and veggie trays. Family-style eating = best style of eating.

I believe that food is community. It’s meant to be celebrated, to be shared, and what better time of year than the Holidays to embracing the community table, dining on good eats with great people.

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for chickpeas. Roasted, curried, tossed in a salad; they’re delicious little joys in every way. Growing up with a vegetarian Mom, meat-free meal options have always held a permanent position on the Prescott Family Meal Plan.

The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. How cool is that?! But, what are Pulses exactly? Glad you asked…

I’m so excited to have partnered with the fantastic Pulse Pledge program this year. Pulses are dry beans, dry chickpeas, lentils, and dry peas. Total superhero ingredient! They’re incredibly delicious, sustainable, healthy, and budget-friendly. So much win! From chili to curry, and here in a flavor-packed Roasted Garlic Hummus, pulses have an extra-special ability to elevate simple, home-style recipes to wholesome rock star dishes.

Make your 2016 The Year of Pulses, take the #pulsepledge, and start to incorporate this deliciousness into your weekly meal plan. You’ll feel better, eat better, and hep folks all over the world eat/live/thrive. For more information on the Pulse Pledge, and a treasure trove of recipes to help start you on your pulse journey, head to Pulsepledge.com.

This Roasted Garlic Hummus is quick and easy to assemble, so delicious, and perfect for anytime a crowd of hungry folks gather around the table.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Makes about 2 ½ cups

1 pound dry chickpeas, cooked and cooled (see how-to here)

1 large bulb of garlic

1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Juice of half a lemon

¼ cup water

1/3 cup tahini

¼ cup olive oil + more for the roasted garlic

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the end off the garlic bulb, exposing the cloves (but leaving the stem intact). Drizzle the cloves with olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then wrap tightly in tinfoil. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft.

Squeeze the garlic cloves onto a board, then mash them into a paste. Awesome.

Grab a food processor. In the base of the food processor, combine the cooked and cooled chickpeas, garlic paste, and salt and pulse for 30 seconds, scrapping the sides of the processor down if necessary. Add the lemon, tahini, and water, and pulse for 30 more seconds, until combined.

With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus is smooth and glorious.

Transfer to a serving dish, then sprinkle over the cumin and paprika. Serve up with grilled bread and all your favourite veggies. Delicious!